Humanitarian aid in Gaza marred by violence and chaos, AP reveals

In an investigative report, AP revealed that American security guards working at humanitarian aid sites in the Gaza Strip have employed live ammunition and aggressive tactics against Palestinian civilians.

Two American contractors involved in this mission described the guards’ behavior as “dangerous and irresponsible” and said they have filed complaints. According to them, many of the security personnel are inexperienced, lack military training, and some were hired just days earlier via email.

One contractor disclosed that his colleagues regularly used stun grenades and pepper spray against people and, in some cases, even fired shots at civilians waiting to receive aid.

AP wrote that the report shows the aid distribution operation was chaotic, lacked clear guidelines, and suffered from ineffective leadership. Rules of engagement were provided to guards only three days after the mission began, resulting in a high rate of injuries during operations.

According to an internal report from one security company, injuries were recorded in 31% of distribution operations during a two-week period in June.

These two contractors warned that if the current trend continues, more lives will be endangered. They also revealed that the Israeli military is exploiting the aid distribution process as an intelligence-gathering tool.

For over a month, the Israeli regime and the US have announced they will control aid distribution among Gaza’s population and have barred international organizations from doing so. However, the aid distribution has so far led to the deaths of 635 Palestinians.

Numerous international human rights organizations, including the World Food Programme, have called the aid distribution system in Gaza a “crime,” and recently, French President Emmanuel Macron described it as “shameful.”